Baking
Rory O’Connell’s Pistachio Cake with Raspberries, Lemon Basil and Rosewater Cream
Ingredients
- For the cake:
- 5 eggs (M)
- 150g caster sugar
- 200g melted and cooled KERRYGOLD® IRISH CREAMERY BUTTER 454g
- 50g cream flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 200g pistachios, ground to a fine but slightly gritty powder
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 drops of almond extract
- For the icing:
- 150g icing sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp of lemon juice
- To decorate:
- 150g raspberries
- 24 small lemon basil leaves or 24 whole pistachios
Directions
This cake by Rory O'Connell has a lovely combination of flavours and has the advantage of keeping beautifully for several days.
- Preheat the oven to 170C.
- Paint the sides of a 24cm spring-form tin with melted butter, dust it out lightly with a little flour to coat the sides of the tin and line the base with a disc of parchment paper .
- Place the eggs in a large bowl and whisk until foamy. Add the sugar and continue to whisk well to mix. The volume of the mixture will not increase but the sugar will be dissolved.
- Add the butter gradually while continuing to whisk. Sieve in the flour and baking powder and fold in gently. With a light hand, fold in the pistachios, lemon zest and almond extract and continue to mix thoroughly.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, smooth over the surface and place into the pre-heated oven. Bake for 35 minutes until the cake is nicely coloured and slightly coming away from the sides of the tin.
- Place the cake still in the tin on a wire rack and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Run a blunt table knife around the inside of the tin and remove the cake. Place back on the wire rack, parchment paper side down, and allow to become completely cold.
- To make the icing, sieve the icing sugar into a bowl. Add the lemon zest and, using a wooden spoon, add the lemon juice to make a relatively thick icing. Be cautious with the addition of the lemon juice as even a few drops of juice too much can create a thin and liquid icing. If this happens, sieve in a little more icing sugar in small increments.
- Remove the disc of parchment from the cooled cake and place on a large flat plate. Spread the icing over the top of the cake just to the edge. Some of the icing will drizzle down the sides in pleasing drips.
- Cut the raspberries in half lengthways and place on the icing. Scatter on the basil leaves or pistachios.
- Serve with softly whipped cream and enjoy!